Mix a Shmup with a Adventure Game. Add in nice AI, game mechanics, multiplayer and get ready to enjoy a gaming GEM.

User Rating: 8.5 | Steel Storm: Burning Retribution PC
Steel storm has popped on the scene almost completely under everyone's radar. Taking it roots from the golden point shooters of Shmups, Creative Artel has rethought the game genre with a nice adventure undertone. What you find is a very compelling game filled with turns and twist that will keep you wanting more for sometime.

Game style is not so much about a story, or enjoying a adventure but just having nice fun on missions. While most shmups are either side or top down view, Creative, has gone with a more 2.5 d Isometric gameplay on a map playing surface. A comparison to it would be the gameplay style of Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light.

Game has all the nice shmup attributes of vehicle lives, power ups, point system base on chaining kills but when you incorporate this in the isometric view with a open gameplay style, you are in for a nice change of pace. Enemies, react and dodge your bullets while returning fire, going to look for health can lead to nasty traps as enemies pop up all around you, and mini bosses can be extremely deadly. Maps are fairly large and rage from deserts, to military bases, to icy mountainous passes.

Graphics are of a more cell shaded variety with nice colors of reds, blues, yellows, and oranges. On a positive, the developer thought for everyone in mind while giving some nice graphical lighting and shader features but also incorporating a decrease option for Intel integrated graphics.

The traditional game is played using the mouse for targeting, mouse buttons for firing, and movement of your ship by the WASD keys. Another nice feature is that this game supports controllers so you can also get that more old-school game feel.

Creative did not just finish with this. The game comes with its own dedicated server ability, coop, and multiplayer in form of death-match and capture the flag.

With all this, the 9 dollar price tag of this game just seems like a steal with such content but Steel storm adds in the ability to play from the third person perspective be unlocking the feature in game. Not only does this add a multitude of replayability but gameplay and flow is drastically changed.

Those who are wanting something different or wanting a nice small game to play with friends will enjoy Steel Storm: Retribution. For the price tag of this game, you will enjoy hours of satisfaction and money well spent.